Urinary stress incontinence
Urinary incontinence is a condition in which a person passes urine involuntarily Stress incontinence occurs due to pressure on the bladder during physical movement or activities such as coughing, sneezing, running, or lifting heavy objects. Stress incontinence is not related to psychological stress
Stress incontinence is different from urge incontinence, which is caused by bladder muscle contractions. Stress incontinence is more common in women
If you have stress incontinence, you can feel left out and this can affect your daily life. After treatment, you will most likely be able to manage stress incontinence
If you have stress incontinence, urine may leak involuntarily:
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Laughing
- Standing up
- Getting out of a car
- Lifting something heavy
When to See Your Doctor
See your doctor if your symptoms are interfering with your daily activities
Stress incontinence develops when the muscles that control the bladder sphincter and the nearby pelvic floor muscles become weak.
The bladder expands as it fills with urine Normally, the urethral sphincters close as the bladder expands, preventing involuntary urination before reaching the required chamber. When these muscles are weakened, anything that puts pressure on the abdominal and pelvic muscles, such as sneezing, bending over, lifting objects, and laughing loudly, can cause involuntary urination.
Pelvic floor muscles and urethral sphincter can lose strength due to the following reasons:
- Childbirth In women, the pelvic floor muscles and sphincter can be damaged during childbirth Stress incontinence can develop immediately or years later
- Prostate surgery In men, the most common cause of stress incontinence is prostatectomy Because the sphincter is located under the prostate and surrounds the urethra, a prostatectomy can cause the sphincter to weaken.
Contributing factors
Other factors can worsen stress incontinence These are:
- Diseases that cause coughing or sneezing
- Obesity
- Smoking that causes frequent coughing
- Caffeine and alcohol consumption
- Hormonal deficiency
